0 - Republic of Macedonia MINISTRY OF CULTURE Cultural Herita~e Protection Office Ref No J (o- 2J.o~ /2- Date: 0/. f.q _2015 Skopje Ms. Mechtild Rossler Director World Heritage Centre- UNESCO 7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP France Subject: State of Conservation Report, Natural and Cultural Heritage ofthe Ohrid Region Decision 38 COM 7B.58 Dear Ms. Mechtild Rossler, In response to the World Heritage Committee decision 38 COM 7B.58 with respect to the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region, please find attached a Report on the State of Conservation of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region. This Report on the State of Conservation of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region (C/N 99ter, Macedonia) has been prepared by the Cultural Heritage Protection Office, a body within the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, for the World Heritage Centre so that the World Heritage Committee may examine the state of conservation of the property at its 40th session in Istanbul, Turkey in 2016. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continuous support m the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Republic of Macedonia. 1
Ms. Mechtild Rőssler Subject: State of Conservation Report, Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region Decision 38 COM 7B.58 Dear Ms. Mechtild Rőssler, In response to the World Heritage Committee decision 38 COM 7B.58 with respect to the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region, please find attached a Report on the State of Conservation of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region. This Report on the State of Conservation of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region (C/N 99ter, Macedonia) has been prepared by the Cultural Heritage Protection Office, a body within the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, for the World Heritage Centre so that the World Heritage Committee may examine the state of conservation of the property at its 40th session in Istanbul, Turkey in 2016. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continuous support in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention in Republic of Macedonia. 1
2
This report is an update on the report provided in March 2014 and contains additional information as a response to the decision 38 COM 7B.58 adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session, June 2014. State of Conservation Report Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) (C/N 99ter) 1. BASIC INFORMATION ON THE PROTECTED PROPERTY Ohrid Region spreads on the shores of the fascinating Lake Ohrid. Galičica, with its peak Magaro (2275m) is the central mountain within the region, while Jablanica Mountain represents its western border with several peaks above 2000m, which additionally shape the pristine beauty of the region. Lake Ohrid, with its origin, age, morphological features and the oligothrophy of its water i.e. the scarceness with organic matter, represents an authentic museum of living endemic and relict species of flora and fauna. Possessing all these features, and because it is the last remnant of the old aquatic world on Euro-Asian lands, its significance for global science is exceptional. It forms a geological unit with Great and Small Prespa (Greece). The historical monumental unit of the town of Ohrid, as a centre of the region, than the town of Struga, located at 17km to the west of Ohrid along the Crn Drim River, that flows out of the lake, the several fishermen s settlements on the shore, as well as the great number of archaeological sites and Christian spiritual centres, make the Ohrid Region, a unique and marvellous blend of geographic phenomena and human action. The town of Ohrid is a rare architectural and artistic achievement and a rich treasury of architectural, archaeological, material and intangible treasures, featuring an immense concentration of significant monuments. The old urban nucleus of Ohrid represents a complex monumental unit, whose formation, according to confirmed artefacts and preserved buildings, 3
was continuous from prehistoric times, though Antiquity and Late Antiquity, Early Christianity, Early and High Middle Ages, the Ottoman period until today, i.e. the period between the 4 th century BC and the 21 st century. The town, formed within a characteristic natural, geographic, historical, ethno-social and aesthetic living and economic conditions, even though without urban planners and architects, had developed into a unique harmony, without noticeable tendencies for usurpation of spaces and vistas. Response from the Republic of Macedonia to the World Heritage Committee s Decision 38 COM 7B.58, (paragraph by paragraph) The World Heritage Committee, 1. Having examined Document WHC-14/38.COM/7B.Add, 2. Recalling Decision 22 COM VII.30 and 33 COM 8B.40 adopted at its 22nd (Kyoto, 1998) and 33rd (Seville, 2009) sessions respectively, 3. Welcomes the actions undertaken by the State Party in response to the recommendations made by the 2013 Advisory Mission related to the project for the Instauration of St. Clement s University at Plaoshnik and recommends that dialogue between the State Party and the Advisory Bodies continue as the project progresses further; 4. Encourages the State Party to implement all recommendations made by the 2013 Advisory Mission for improving the state of conservation of the property with particular attention to the following: Based on the recommendations from the Advisory Mission, the architectural design team made a comprehensive revision of the technical documentation (plans, drawings) for the project Instauration of St.Clement s University at Plaoshnik, especially concerning the size, the elevations, the scale and the scope, with the goal to eliminate all possible impacts from the building of the proposed structures on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. 4
Complex 1 Complex 4 Complex 2 and 3 Complex 1 Situation of the complexes Complex I: This complex includes: the Residential building of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (MOC), the Monastic quarters and the Faculty of Theology. - Residential building of the MOC The mission did not have any remarks face to its size, height and architectural form. The building location for Building 2 has a surface of 19,30m х 16,7 m and it is located to the south of Building 1, i.e.at the furthest southeastern part of the site, at the very limits of the area. It is located at a distance of about 30 m from the apse of St.Clement s church. The building, now after the revision, has a semi-basement, a ground floor and an upper floor. The dimensions of the building, on the base of the ground floor are with a size of 19,30 m х 16,7 m. The overall height of the building, from the ground floor to the point of the roof ridge is 6.05 m. 5
Residential building of MOC (building 2) - Monastic quarters The location of Building 1 has a surface of 34.86 m x 27.56 m and it is at the furthest eastern part of the site attached to its borderline. It is located at approximately 30 meters to the east of the apse of St. Clement s church. The building was envisaged to feature a height of a ground floor and 2 upper floors, however, following the recommendations of the Advisory Mission, there were changes made concerning the height, and hence it had been reduced to a ground floor and one upper floor (partial basement, ground floor and one floor). The dimensions of the building on the base of the ground floor are 34,86 m x 27,56 m. The total height of the 6
building from the ground floor to the point of the roof ridge was foreseen to be 11.05 m, but with the changes it had been reduced to 8,10 m. Based on the mission recommendations, the existent architectural project had been redesigned i.e. the new solution for this project has the upper most floor removed and thus the height of this building is equaled with that of the Residential building. In addition, the exterior architectural appearance had been redesigned and adjusted with appropriate architectural solution corresponding with the architecture of the neighboring building the Residence of the MOC. Thus, the two buildings represent one architectural unit, both in terms of their sizes and in terms of their exterior architectural appearance. Acting in line with the recommendations of the Advisory Mission, the new usable surface of the building after the changes made had decreased for 731,20 m2. The total height is reduced for 3,05 meters and the total height of the altered building is 8,10 meters. Building 2 Building 1 7
8
Monastic quarters (building 1) 9
- Faculty of Theology The building location for Building 3 has a surface of 40 х 35 m (about 1010 m 2 ) and it is situated at the furthest north-western part of the site. It is located at about 10 meters to the east of the Poly-conch basilica and 10 m to the north of Complex II/III. The building will have a height of G+3 (basement, ground floor and 3 floors). The dimensions of the building at the base are of 40 х 35 m. The total height of the building from the ground floor to the roof ridge is 9.55 m. Due to the accentuated slope of the terrain, starting from the entrance hall, the building expands on three levels above and two levels below the level of the main entrance, that is at an elevation of - 3,91 m. In this manner, the slope of the terrain is completely followed and it meets the conditions of the project programme, which was envisaging having the building at a height of three meters above the archaeological remains, also enabling a walk through archaeology from several spots within the building. Based on the recommendations of the Advisory Mission, the archaeological research at this area are ongoing with accelerated intensity. The archaeological research at Block 1 and Block 2 had been finalized and thus building conditions had been enabled. At the moment there are archeological research performed at Block 3 and they will be finalized at the beginning of 2016. Concerning the height of the building, there had been a comprehensive revision of the project design made and the complete height of the building had now been reduced for one storey height of 3.10 meters, thus securing a better integration of the proposed building within the setting. These changes also involved the necessary re-organizing of the usable space, and the total surface of the building had been reduced for about 700 m2, while the highest elevation to the roof ridge is 6,45 meters. There had also been a revision of the façade rendering of the building. The traditional building materials that dominate the façade rendering are of semi-processed stone and brick for the ridges and the arches. 10
Faculty of Theology (building 3) Complex II and III: This Complex includes: St.Clement s Library building A; Centre for Humanities building B and Museum of Plaoshnik building C. Planned condition according to the project design The building location of Complex II/III is an elongated area of 125 x 20 m in the direction of north-south and is located at the extreme western part of the site. It is located at about 40 meters to the west of the western side of St. Clement s church. The orientation of the building follows the terrain that falls in a cascade manner to the west. The building has a height of G+2 floors (basement, ground floor and two upper floors). The dimension of Complex II/III is 125 x 20 m at the base. The height of the building from the ground floor to the point of the roof ridge is 12.42 m. 11
Building А а. Functional-spatial solution Building A will host St.Clement s Library. From the level of the entrance at the elevation of 0,00m the building spreads with one floor below and two floors above the entrance, which means that it is developed on a total of 4 levels (floors). The lowest level is on an elevation of - 4,16mm while the highest one is on the level of 12,42m. Building B а. Functional-spatial solution Building B has 5 levels, grouped, but independent of each other and directly connected to the institutions they serve. They house the administrative and parts of the functional and auxiliary rooms of the Plaoshnik Museum and St. Clement s Library, the Centre of the International School for Applicative Conservation as well as the Macedonian Institute for Humanities. Dependent on the fall of the terrain and the archaeological remains at the location, from the level of the entrance (point 0.00 m) the building spans on two additional levels up and two additional levels down (five in total). The highest point to the roof is 11,67 m. Building C а. Functional-spatial solution The building C contains the Plaoshnik Museum and the Gallery of Icons. From the level of the entrance (0.00 m) this building has two subterranean and 2 above ground levels. That means that the building has five levels, while the highest point to the roof is 9,90 m. б. External appearance of Complex II/III The eastern façade of Complex II/III (the one facing the interior of the site) is going to be made of brick and tile in opus mixtum, especially on the ground level of the buildings so as to achieve greater correlation with the identity of the horizontal stratification of the site. The masonry is of semi-processed stone at the ground floor and decorated with wreaths of full brick which appear on all of the façades following the line of the formed stone arches which could be 12
entered though and communicate with the remains of the archaeological buildings. The processed stone masses of travertine and brick are on parts of the façade, as quotes of the basic characteristics of building in the medieval period. Certain parts of the facades are rendered with horizontal layers of travertine and full brick with alternate insertion of the window openings between the masonry for illumination of the space. Parts of the roofs are wooden and are of the flat type with two short domes covered with tiles above the Building A and Building C. - According to the recommendations of the Advisory Mission: Based on the Advisory Mission s recommendations, there had been a complete revision made of the project design for the entire complex. In the case of buildings A, B and C, one level height had been reduced, thus respecting the recommendation, not to have a higher elevation than +3,68 meters (according to the existent plans), while the other buildings, with the reducing of one level, are following the natural slope of the terrain. In addition, a revision had been made of the roofs and the facades of the buildings. The glass domes had been removed and replaced with hipped wooden roofs covered with ceramic roof tiles, while the illumination of the interior will be enabled with hidden glass pyramids, in the same manner as for the monastic quarters. The total height of the ends of the roofs is reduced for 2,85 m. Moreover, the glass facades facing west had been remodeled and adjusted with the architecture of the other buildings within the complex. The redesigned blueprints follow the slope of the terrain and do not impact (with their size) on the visual qualities of the site. In the rendering of the façade appearances, the used construction materials are stone, brick and travertine, thus blending them in the complete architectural appearance of the entire complex. The cutting of the trees around the planned buildings had stopped, and, upon the finalization of building activities, the area will be horticultural arranged, thus also enabling shading of the buildings within the space, and improving the visual quality. The interior reorganization of the space had been finalized and it will not exercise a negative impact on the foreseen changes of the size and the façade appearance of the complex. 13
Considering the presentation of the remains of older buildings that are discovered during the archaeological excavations, they will be maximally respected and presented in the exhibition area. The total usable surface with the foreseen changes is reduced for 2693,3 m2. By implementing these changes, the Advisory Mission s recommendations are fully accepted. 14
C B A Initial Project Revised Project A B C Initial Project Revised Project A B C Initial Project Revised Project 15
Initial Project Revised Project C Initial Project Revised Project 16
Buildings A, B, C Complex IV: The planned building location of Complex IV is with dimensions of 125 x 15 m (1858,4 m2) and located to the west of Complex II/III, parallel to it, towards St. Clement s park. The building was foreseen to have a height of G + 2 floors (basement, ground floor and two upper floors). The total height of the building from the ground floor to the point of the roof ridge was planned to be 7.6 m. On the foreseen location there are archaeological excavations taking place in order to define the entire complex. After serious consideration of the recommendations from the Advisory Mission to relocate the buildings of Complex IV outside of the site of Plaoshnik or to completely revise the architectural project in view of the proposed heights and the number of buildings and the 17
Computer center, as well as based on the analyses made, it had been decided NOT TO CONSTRUCT this complex on this location. a) Finalize the Management Plan for the property and the Integrated Protection Plan for the Old Town Nucleus of Ohrid and submit an electronic and three printed copies of the draft revised management plan for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, Management Plan Acting upon the remarks of ICOMOS and IUCN and with financial support of the UNESCO- Venice Office, the working group comprised of representatives from the Cultural Heritage Protection Office, the Institute for Protection of Monuments of Culture and Museum-Ohrid, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning and the delegated representatives from municipalities Ohrid and Debarca (although requested, Struga municipality has not nominated its representative), has made the necessary corrections to the draft Management Plan for the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region. With the scope of introducing and promoting the Plan, there had been an informative flier produced that will be distributed in the municipalities on the territory of the Ohrid region. The latest version of the Plan was submitted to municipalities Ohrid, Struga and Debarca and to all relevant institutions for their review, which will be followed by a public debate. Upon the harmonization of the possible remarks it will be submitted to the Government of the Republic of Macedonia for adoption (having in mind the current political situation in the country we are not in a position to foresee the possible adoption date). 18
b) Develop a detailed urban plan for the entire monumental ensemble, in line with the existing regulatory framework, to ensure the enforcement of provisions and to control activities that might impact the entire protected area, The preparation of a Detailed Urban Plan for the entire monumental ensemble, that was supposed to be prepared by the local self-government of Ohrid municipality, was disabled due to its vast extent and complexity. Having in mind the need of such a planning document that is necessary for the normal functioning of the legislation, as well we for minimizing the problems that have a negative impact on the protected ensemble, in the course of 2015 there had been changes made on the Law on Proclaiming the Town of Ohrid as a Monumental Ensemble of Special Significance ( Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia no.47/11 and 154/15) that divides the ensemble into 19 complexes. It means that it will contribute to a simplified and more successful urbanizing of the area, i.e. its division into 19 complexes will enable preparation of separate detailed urban plans for each of the complexes. The preparation of the plans is expected to start as soon as possible and thus the newly occurred urbanistic problems would be overcome. c) Strictly enforce legal and regulatory provisions and establish a management structure to control development pressures and interventions at the property, In line with the Law on Management of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region ( Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia no.75/10) and the draft Management Plan for the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region, it is foreseen to establish a Commission as a coordinative and advisory body with the goal to coordinate the activities related to the natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region. It has not been established so far and its establishment is expected with the adoption of the Management plan by the Government of the public of Macedonia. Until the forming of the Commission, the control of the development urban expansion is performed by the Cultural Heritage Protection Office, the Administration of Environment, as well as by the relevant professional institutions. 19
d) Develop a comprehensive action plan for the lakeshore to provide adequate guidance on the type and extent of potential developments in relation to the attributes of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property and its setting; No activities have been undertaken. 5. Expresses its concern over several planned major infrastructure projects within the property, including the Ljubanishta 1 and 2 coastal developments, the Ohrid-Peshtani road, and the Galičica Ski Centre and Resort, and requests that technical details, including Environmental and Heritage Impact Assessments (EIAs/HIAs), for projects under consideration within the property be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review prior to making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines ; Concerning the coastal development of Lake Ohrid for economic development and development of tourism, the Ministry of Transport and Communications within its legal competences had approved the State urban planning documentation for the tourism development zone Ljubanishta 1 in Ohrid municipality, located on the shore of Lake Ohrid in relation with the investor Sahara India Pariwar, i.e. the Proposal for coastal development of Sahara India Pariwar. It had also issued Consent for the Urban plan outside a populated area for the tourism development zone Krasta, C.M. Kalishta in Struga municipality. We would like to emphasize that in the process of adoption and approval of the listed documentation, the Ministry of Transport and Communications though the National Commission for UNESCO, had secured opinions and guidelines from the relevant institutions, and those were respected and incorporated as such in the documents. They will be taken into consideration in all further phases or implementation aspects. In this regard, we quote the guidelines we have received that all planning documents, architectural and urbanistic, concept and executive projects (in the phase of their preparation), as well as the Environmental Impact Assessment Studies and 20
Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Studies that are to be prepared in the future should be submitted to UNESCO s World Heritage Centre (Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines), i.e. to its Advisory bodies ICOMOS and IUCN through the National Commission for UNESCO. We inform you that the proposal for coastal development at the locations Ljubanishte 1 and 2 by the investor Sahara India, Pariwar, has been canceled and no activities had been undertaken on these locations. 6. Considers that the planned construction of the Galičica Ski Centre and Resort is likely to have significant direct and indirect impacts on the OUV of the property, and requests the State Party to halt the project until the abovementioned impact assessment has been completed and reviewed; Concerning the idea to construct a ski center on the Galičica Mountain, there had been a Feasibility study prepared, which should demonstrate the feasibility of the project. In addition, a future Master plan that should guide the possible construction of a ski center should ensure a level that would meet the highest criteria. The general intentions refer also to the respect of the principles of preservation of the cultural and natural values of the Ohrid region. At present, there is urban documentation being prepared for the planned rope railway that would connect the lake shore with the National park Galičica. 7. Also requests that selected project proposals for the implementation of the Pan European Railway Corridor VIII be submitted to the World Heritage Centre upon completion for review by the Advisory Bodies and urges the State Party to identify alternative routes that do not cross the property; Development of railway corridor VIII Concerning Corridor VIII that refers to the construction of a railroad that will secure this communication between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Albania (that crosses through the protected property) a Feasibility study had been prepared. In line with this document, 21
the corridor where the future railroad should pass has been defined, but not the precise track. During the preparation of this study special attention had been given to the Spatial Plan of the Republic of Macedonia. The preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Study and a Heritage Impact Assessment Study is expected, while in the preparation of the final documentation, all opinions of the relevant institutions for the protection of nature and cultural heritage, as well as the World Heritage Convention will be taken in consideration. At the moment, there are no activities on the planned corridor. 8. Also encourages the States Parties of Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with the support of the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies, to continue to cooperate in the framework of the Upstream process towards the preparation of a new nomination for a transboundary extension of the property to include the Albanian part of Lake Ohrid and its watershed, in order to strengthen the values and integrity of the property; Within the Upstream process project, activities for the preparation of a new nomination file for a transboundary expansion on the property also on the Albanian side had started in 2014. The main goals of this project are to identify the dangers that are threatening the natural and cultural heritage in the region of Lake Ohrid, strengthening of the cross-border cooperation concerning the preservation of the lake and assistance in identifying and defining of the borders of the region as a whole. Special emphasis will be placed on the building of permanent crossborder sectoral cooperation, especially in the sphere of sustainable tourism, public awarenessraising for the protection of cultural and natural heritage in the region, as well as the importance of the proper waste management. The expected results from the planned activities during the first year of the project timeframe are several cross-border meetings with the scope to define and improve the understanding of the region s characteristics, assessment of the infrastructure for sustainable tourism and other development possibilities, in addition to a series of 5 workshops for management of the region and preparation and distribution of promotional materials. 22
During the second and the third year, it is foreseen to finalize the process of assessment and mapping of the cultural and natural heritage in the region, to have 5 thematic trainings, to create integrated management, technical assistance in the preparation of the expansion nomination file, comparative analysis and defining of the borders of the region, preparation of a strategic document for sustainable tourism and sustainable development, defining of the infrastructure for sustainable tourism, pilot activities for management of residue waters and solid waste. The project is foreseen to end in the summer of 2017. Potential major restorations, alterations and/or new construction(s) within the protected area (in conformity with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines): Roads construction The Public Enterprise for State Roads is working on the preparation of technical documentation for: 1. Construction of the express road А3: Kosel Ohrid Peshtani Border crossing with Albania, segment: Ohrid Peshtani, in a length of about 13,3 km; 2. Construction of the express road А3: Kosel Ohrid Peshtani Border crossing with Albania, segment: Peshtani Border crossing with Albania, in a length of about 13,0 km and segment Ljubanishta to the newly built segment towards the border crossing St.Naum, as a part of the Regional road R1301 in a length of about 1,8 km; 3. Construction of the Highway А2, segment Trebenishte Struga, in a legth of about 8,1 km. 1. Construction of an express road А3: Kosel - Ohrid - Peshtani Border crossing with Albania, segment: Ohrid Peshtani The preparation of the technical documentation for this project is in an advanced phase. From the aspect of the assessment of the impact on the environment and on the cultural heritage as a result of the development of this project, we inform you that there had been a Strategic 23
Environment Impact Assessment Report (SEIAR) prepared and the procedure for involvement of the public, as the national legislation foresees, had been implemented. In the SEIAR there was a positive Opinion on the content and the scope of the document from the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning given (Opinion no. 15-3678/2 of 04.04.2014). Having in mind that the project is planned to be implemented with finances from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in parallel with the preparation for the Study for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA study), according to the requirements of the national legislation, there were also steps taken to integrate the requirements and recommendations of EBRD and to incorporate the recommendations from the quoted Decision of UNESCO s Committee and to employ the Guidance for Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties of ICOMOS. At the moment, there is a revision being made of the second draft of the EIA study with included assessments of the impact on the cultural heritage for properties that are on the World Heritage List within the Ohrid region. Due to the scale of the document (more than 400 pages), it will be submitted to the National Commission for UNESCO along with all other technical details for the project. After that, the EIA study, along with a single integrated report will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre, prior to the adoption of any irreversible decisions, in line with Article 172 of the Operational Guidelines. In the upcoming period, the Public Enterprise for State Roads will initiate a procedure for approval of the EIA study according to the requirements of the national legislation, but its approval will also depend on the changes of the zones in the Management plan for the National Park Galičica. This procedure is under the inherences of the Public Institution National Park Galičica and the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. 24
2. Construction the express road A3: Kosel - Ohrid - Peshtani Border crossing with Albania, segment: Peshtani Border crossing with Albania The preparation of the technical documentation for this project is at an early stage. From the aspect of the impact assessments on the environment and the cultural heritage as a result of the (future) implementation of this project, we inform you that at the moment a draft Environment Impact Assessment Report is being prepared in line with the requirements from the national legislation. Once the Environmental Impact Assessment Study will start to be prepared, the same working principle will be employed as in the case of the segment Ohrid-Peshtani, the recommendations from the quoted Decision of UNESCO s Committee will be incorporated and the Guidance for Heritage Impact Assessments for Cultural World Heritage Properties of ICOMOS will be employed also for the segment Peshtani Border Crossing Ljubanishta with Albania. At the moment there is an Environment Impact Assessment Report being prepared and in several months there will also be a draft Environmental Impact Assessment Study prepared. The Environmental Impact Assessment Study, after it s finalized, will be submitted to UNESCO s World Heritage Centre. 25
3. Construction of the highway A2: segment Trebenishte - Struga For this segment there is project documentation that should be completed in several parts, having in mind that project will be financed by the EBRD. For this purpose, there are activities for preparation of the missing technical documentation, including the preparation of a Strategic Environmental Impact Report and an Environmental Impact Assessment Study. The preparation of these documents had not started yet. After the preparation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study, the same working principle as in the case of the previous road segments will be employed. All documents related to the protection of the environment and the natural and cultural heritage of the Ohrid region for the given projects will be regularly published on the web site of the Public Enterprise for State Roads www.roads.org.mk and on other relevant web sites, thus being available for both the professional institutions and the public. 26
Port construction A concept design for the construction of a port (a small marina old port) on the lakeshore in the town of Ohrid had been prepared in 2015 and presented to the public. In September 2015, the Council of Ohrid municipality had accepted a Feasibility study prepared by a consulting company focusing on the feasibility of a public-private investment and management of this planned marina. No concrete decisions to construct the marina had been taken and no project designs and technical documentation had been prepared so far. This Report is prepared by the Cultural Heritage Protection Office in cooperation with the Institute for Protection of Monuments of Culture and Museum Ohrid, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, and the National Commission for UNESCO 27